TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – Falley Field opened in 1990. Coach Anson has been at Washburn since 1980. Ino those 35 years, he’s accumulated 844 wins, and a lifetime of memories.

“He steadied me, he gave me a lot of confidence,” said Washburn head basketball coach Bob Chipman who first hired Anson as a basketball assistant. “He was just great for me, and he was also great with our young guys.”

“He would always volunteer,” said athletics director Loren Ferre. “If we ever needed student athletes, he’d always have his kids there. He preached being a team member.”

“If you go 0-5 with five strikeouts, or 5-5, he’s going to love you the same,” said Washburn catcher David Gauntt. “The next day at practice he’s going to treat you just the same, he’s going to work with you just the same. He loved you because of the man you were, not the baseball player you were.”

“He always wants kids to give 100%,” said Washburn assistant coach Harley Douglas. “We’d give the same spiel to every kid. Stay off drugs, be on time, give 110%, and there’s a scoreboard out there for a reason.”

“He did things the right way, and by the rules,” said Washburn outfielder Connor Crimmins. “Everything he did was by the book, and the way it was supposed to be done. He was one of the hardest working guys I’ve ever met.”

“He was a great mentor, for not only our young coaches, but for the players that played for him,” said Ferre. “He followed them through their academics, their graduations, and their careers.”